


Once Again

by wefellasangels



Series: Adventures with Demon!Dean [Pre-Season 10 Speculations] [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Demon Dean, Gen, Mark of Cain, Team Free Will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 14:50:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4183968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wefellasangels/pseuds/wefellasangels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean escapes the Bunker and finds Cain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once Again

**Author's Note:**

> requested by @arinae on tumblr

“Well, it appears we have a new…concern on our hands,” Castiel states.

Dean gives a short, humorless laugh. Then his eyes flash black.

“Damn straight.”

Castiel narrows his eyes and walks back to Sam.

“Can we…can we do anything?” Sam asks. “I mean, it’s not like we can exorcise or k-kill – “  Despair catches in Sam’s throat.

“No,” Castiel responds regretfully. “I…don’t know of anything to reverse Dean’s situation.”

“Maybe we can cure –“

“It won’t work.”

Sam shifts from one leg to the other, suddenly irritated. “Why not? Crowley – “

“Didn’t have the Mark of Cain. Sam, Dean is a different breed of demon. He didn’t spend centuries in Hell. He’s not _being_ possessed. The conventional rules don’t apply in his case. We...we need to look into this more.”

The sound of iron breaking disrupts Sam’s and Castiel’s conversation. Castiel turns around and Sam looks over his shoulder.

Dean has broken the cuffs around both his wrists and ankles.

“Dean?” Sam begins, voice unsteady. “How did you break those?”

Dean stands up and rubs his wrists. He looks up and meets Sam’s eyes, his own still black.

“Come on, Sammy! You can’t keep this fine piece of ass locked up! And besides, Cas is right” – the ground splits beneath his feet, breaking the Devil’s trap –  “I’m a different breed of demon.”

Castiel and Sam both take a step back as Dean begins to advance, walking right out of the Devil’s trap.

Reflexively, Sam begins reciting: “Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus... “

Dean slows for a moment and cringes, but then he just laughs. Out of curiosity, he puts his hand up and flicks his wrist to the right, throwing Sam into a bookcase.

“Sam!” Castiel cries. He looks back at Dean, anger in his eyes. “You need to stop this now, Dean!”

Dean drops his hand and the black recedes from his eyes. Looking as if he’s just come out of a daze, he sees Sam on the floor unconscious.

“Dammit…” he mutters under his breath _. Stay focused_ , Dean thinks. _Stay in control._

“I’ve gotta go,” Dean mumbles to himself, as he walks past Castiel.

“Dean. Where are you going?”

Dean ignores him and leaves the dungeon, making his way quickly through the bunker.

Reaching the war room, Castiel follows Dean to the foot of the staircase.

“Dean…Dean, wait,” Castiel puts a hand on Dean’s shoulder to turn him around to face him.

“I don’t know where you’re going, but it’s better if you stay here. The three of us can figure this out toget – ”

“No, I don’t think so, Cas. See…I’m gonna go this one alone. I got myself into this crap, and I’m gonna dig myself out. And no one is gonna get hurt because of me. Not again.”

Dean turns to leave and Castiel grabs his arm. “Dean – “

Anger takes over and Dean turns around suddenly, about to launch his fist in Castiel’s face. Castiel reacts quickly and blocks the punch. A ten-second fight ensues, ending with Castiel pinned against a wall and Dean’s arm pressed across his neck.

“I’m doing this alone. Got it?” Dean releases Castiel and glares at him. Then he makes his way up the stairs and leaves before Castiel can stop him again.

…

1 DAY LATER SOMEWHERE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK

…

 

Three knocks and Cain opens the door promptly.

He sighs. “Dean Winchester.”

“We need to talk.”

“How did you find me?”

Dean pushes his way past Cain and makes his way inside. “Nice place.” Dean comments flatly, looking around the small house.

“Well, after you exposed my home to demons last time, I had to relocate. Sit.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Dean says as he takes his seat. Similar to the last time they met, Dean and Cain sit on couches across from one another, a coffee table in between them.

Cain stares at Dean for a moment before he begins speaking. “I know this isn’t a casual visit, Dean. What are you doing here?”

“I need your help.”

“With what?”

Dean blinks. Once and his eyes are black. A second time and the green resurfaces. Cain just nods his head once, a neutral and unreadable expression on his face. Dean waits for a response.

“Well?”

“’Well’ what?”

“Are you going to help me?”

“Help you what?”

“Is this a friggin’ game to you?” Dean yells, impatient. “Help me reverse this! Help me get back to normal!”

 “I warned you, Dean,” Cain says firmly, leaning in as he speaks. “I warned you from the beginning that taking on the Mark would have consequences; that – “

“That it would come at a ‘cost’ – ”

“So you understand then that the Mark isn’t just a tool you can check out and return like a library book!”

Dean stands up, his anger getting the best of him. He pulls his sleeve back to reveal the Mark. “I don’t need this anymore! I did my damn job! I ganked Abaddon – “

 “It doesn’t matter! You don’t get to put it away or get rid of it just because you’re done! And once you’ve decided to accept death – “

“I didn’t accept jack squat! Metatron _killed_ me!”

“I’m sorry, Dean,” Cain says dryly as he stands up. “Even if I wanted to help, I wouldn’t know how. I’ve never tried to reverse what I am. This choice I made…I did it for my brother. I don’t regret that decision.”

The anger in Dean ebbs away for a moment as Cain begins walking away, heading to his kitchen.

“Listen. I get it,” Dean says a little more quietly, thinking about his own brother. “Believe me, I do. But this is my stop, man. Wherever this train’s headed” – he shakes his head sadly – “I need to get off before someone gets hurt.”

Cain turns back around, something resembling regret in his eyes. “As I said, I know nothing…You won’t find any answers here, Dean.”

“I don’t buy that.”

“Well, you have to,” Cain responds bluntly. “Now leave. I don’t need you compromising my location – again.”

Dean gives Cain one last look before turning and heading to the door. He has his hand on the door handle when he changes his mind last minute.

“I think you’re lying,” Dean states, reaching into his jacket. He turns back around, the First Blade in his hand, and begins walking slowly towards Cain. “See…I’m willing to bet that you know more than you’re letting on. That you know something – or someone – that can help me get out of this. And I’m not leaving here until you tell me.”

Dean’s eyes flash black, but he’s only seeing red. Within seconds, he closes the distance between the two of them, knocking Cain to the floor as he holds the First Blade against his throat.

“You really think killing me will get you answers?”

“You’ll spill your guts one way or another,” Dean retorts. A moment later the Blade slams into his face as Cain takes hold of the weapon and temporarily incapacitates Dean.

Cain stands up, Blade in hand. Dean watches from the floor as Cain’s own Mark burns red, the Blade and its owner reunited after who knows how long.

 _Dammit_ , Dean curses to himself. He could see the power of the Blade pumping its way through Cain’s veins, along with renewed and more demanding bloodlust.

Dean finally stands up, a slow-brewing panic forming as he attempts to formulate some kind of escape plan that doesn’t end with the First Blade lodged in his spine.

Just then, the front door slams open. Sam rushes in, followed by Castiel.

“Dean!”

Dean looks up and his stomach drops as Cain spots the two new additions to his home.

“Sam Winchester,” Cain says. “This meeting is long overdue. I wish it were under better circumstances, but…here we are.”

Sam’s eyes widen, fear replacing worry as he takes in the First Blade’s placement in Cain’s hand.

“Cain,” Castiel begins. “We’re not here to fight. We were only looking for Dean and his trail led…here, apparently.”

There is nothing but murder in Cain’s eyes as he replies. “Fighting is an option…but it won’t do you any good…”

Dean walks over to Sam and Castiel. “Dammit, Dean,” Castiel mutters. “What have you done?”

“I told you I was doing this alone!” Dean hisses back. “You guys shouldn’t be – ”

Sam and Dean are suddenly outside the house, standing next to the Impala.

“How – where’s Cas?” Sam wonders out loud.

The brothers make eye contact briefly before looking back at the house. They can hear the breaking of furniture and the occasional shatter of glass.

“He’s fighting Cain – by himself?” Dean asks angrily.

“Not anymore.” Castiel appears, blood on his face and clothes. “We have to leave.”

“Wait, Cas, what happen – “

“We must leave now, Sam. We can debrief later.”

Sam nods in agreement and the three of them get into the Impala. The ride is silent for the first half hour before Dean clears his throat.

“So…what happened back there, Cas?”

“We fought. I was able to take the Blade from Cain. It only slowed him down momentarily, but…it was enough time for me bury the Blade and escape. He’ll find it soon enough, though…”

“You left the Blade there?” Dean inquires angrily.

“Yes!”

Dean and Sam respond at the same time:

“Why?”

“Good.”

Dean looks at Sam quickly, taking his eyes off the road briefly. “What do you mean ‘good’?”

“You don’t need that thing, Dean.”

“What, and Cain _does_? Did you see what happened back there, Sam?”

“Yeah, I did. And I saw what happened when you had it.”

Dean scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“Sam’s right Dean,” Castiel adds. “The First Blade has been…returned to its owner – for better or worse. Of course, this wouldn’t even be an issue if you hadn’t gone looking for him. What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that maybe I could get some answers! Find a way to get me back to normal. …And I figured if anyone knew, it would be Cain.”

“Did he know anything?” Sam asks quietly, hoping against hope.

Dean is silent for a few seconds before responding. “I don’t know. He might have…but if he knew, he wasn’t telling.”

Sam sighs and nods. “Well, we’re going to have to do our own research then. That means you stay in the Bunker, Dean. No more going off on your own.”

“Sam – ”

“I mean it.”

Dean smiles humorlessly and sighs. “Fine.”

“We can figure this out,” Castiel reassures all of them, looking out the window. “Together, we three can fix this. Just as always.”

**Author's Note:**

> this was written the summer before season 10 aired. suffice it to say, things did not go as predicted :)


End file.
